50% more satellite launches over next decade

10.43 Europe/London, August 26, 2011 By Julian Clover

An estimated 1,145 satellites will be built for launch over the next ten years, representing a 51% increase over the previous decade.

Paris-based EuroConsult estimates the market for the manufacture and launch of the satellites will be worth some $196 billion (€136 billion) worldwide, of which commercial satellites represent $50 billion, with the vast majority of the remainder taken up by government based projects.

The information is revealed in the 14th edition of EuroConsult’s Satellites to be Built & Launched.

The market is driven primarily by established operators’ investment cycles for replacing in-orbit capacity (representing 70% of orders in the past), and to a lesser degree by new systems for newer commercial companies and governments.

EuroConsult predicts commercial satellite services outside the geostationary orbit will get a boost over the next decade with a total of 165 satellites to be built and launched into medium and low Earth orbits (MEO and LEO). Three quarters will be communications satellites to replace the first LEO generation satellites (operated by Iridium, Globalstar and Orbcomm) and for O3b’s first-generation system, which will be the first commercial constellation launched into MEO.